Coin-controlled mechanism



Dec. 8, 1925.

T. s. BRIGHTWELL com coNTRoLLEn MECHANISM Filed May 21, 1924 Patented Dec. 8, 1925.

UNITED STATES THAD'DEUS s..fBn1GnrwnLL, or Bannnocx, PENNSYLVANIA.

com-coNrnoLtEn MEcHANIsm.

.Application inea nay 21, 1924. serial No. 714,858.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, T I-IADDEUS S. BRIGHT- wnLL, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Braddock. in the county of Allegheny and State oi Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coin-Controlled Mechanisms, of which the following is aspecification.

iThis invention relates to liquid dispensing apparatus, and while not limited thereto,

relates --more particularly to gasoline dispensing apparatus of the coin controlled One object of this invention is to provide a coin controlled mechanism that may be operated in connection with standard gasoline dispensing apparatus which includes a meter, and utilize Huid pressure for forcing -the delivery of the gasoline.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel form of coin control mechanism for controlling the operation of the dispensing apparatus, adapted tov-permit only a, predetermined amount of liquid to be .dispensed for each coin deposited.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide an apparatus having the novel construction, design, and combination of-parts hereinafter described and illustrated in the ac- 3 companying drawings.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the assembled device.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the device, with the ront wall removed to show the working parts. f

Figure3 is a sectional elevation through the coin box showing the coinY control mechamsm.

Figure 4 is a sectional plan on the line IV--IV of Figure 2. f

Referring more particularly to the draw ings, I have illustrated my invention as applied to the well known andl widely used pressure `gasoline dispensing stands, which include a "asing 2 housing a meter 3 having inlet and outlet conduits 4and 5,"respec tively. The meter 3 houses'the usualmetering mechanism adapted' to be, operated by the gasoline or other liquid passing therethrough. to rotate a horizontal shaft 6 carrying the usual indicating hand 7 which co-operates with `a dial 8 to "indicate the quantity of liquid dispensed.

This class of. dispensing apparatus, as said before, is oii'wellknown construction and has gone into wide use, and, therefore, a more detailed 'description of its construe-- tion is not thought necessary, especially since I make no claim of its construction, except as my improvement is combined therewith.

Liquid dispensing devices, such as described above, have heretofore been operated or controlled manually by an operator and,

gtherefore. necessitated the constant attendance of an operator. The present invention provides a coin controlled mechanism for controlling the dispensinglof the liquid and eliminates the necessity of an attendant, thereby providing an apparatus that may readily be set up for use in districts and locations where itwould be unprofitable td maintain an attendant and yet the amount of liquid dispensed woulddbe profitable to the company when no attendant is required.

In carryingI out my invention I provide a rotary valve 10 in the outlet conduit 5 adapted to control the flow of liquid from the apparatus.' The valve 10 is provided with a gear 11 on its stem, which gear is in mesh with a gear 12 `on the shaft 6 of the meter mechanism. The ratio of the gears is such that a'prcdetermined quantity of liquid will fiowrthrough the meter and be dispensed through the outlet conduit 5 with k each revolution or opening and closing of the valve 10.

The opening and closing of the valve 10 is controlled by al stop or control lever 14 sov pivoted intermediate its ends on a suitable support 15 secured to the coin box 16. The forward end of the lever 14 is adapted to vengage a stopflug 1'( on the gear 11, while the rear 'end thereof is engagedby a coin, thereby stoppingthe rotation of the valve 10 and locking the 'gear T1 and valve 10 against further rotation until said coin is removed. The' coin box 16 is positioned to the one side of the 'casing 2 and is provided with a coin chute or guideway 18, which communicatesat its upper end with a slot or open-v ing 19 in the frontwall of the casing 2 and\ extends downwardly to a point adjacent the rear end of the lever 14. The rear end `of the lever 14 is cut away to form a concave -with flexible or resilient side wall membersV 21 in the form of very thin leaf springs seu cured at their upper ends in spaced relation to'the fixed side walls ofthe guideway, and extending downwardly. The members 21 converge inwardly toward their lower ends and are provided at their lower' ends with concave' pockets l22 to receive the edges of a coin when it reaches the lower end of the guideway.

In operation a coin is deposited in the opening 19 and passes -into the chute or guidewav 18. The upper end of the guideway 18 is of" such size that the coin will move freelv along the guideway for an appreciahle distance, then. due to the converged position of the side wall members 21. the coin will .engage these members and force them apart and continue its downward movement until it reaches the extreme lower' end of the guideway. when it will be received by the Dockets 22. which will permit the side wall members 21 to ret'iirn to their normal position.n When the coin is received in the pockets 22 it is held from movement in any direction and, due to the position of the lower end of the guideway 18 over the rear end of the lever 14. the coin will engage the rear end of this lever and hold it in locked position, so that its forward end will be engaged against or in position to engage the stop lug17 on the gear 14. In order to remove the coin engaged against the rear end of the lever 14. it is necessary to deposit a second coin in the slot or openmg 19 and permit it to pass downwardly through the chute or guideway 18 until it engages the upper edge of the first coin. Due to the converged position of the side wall members 21 they will be forced outwardly by the second coin a sufficient distance to release the first named coin from the pockets 22.

After the second coin is deposited in the guideway 18 and has moved the side wall members,- 21 outwardly to release the first coin from the pockets 22,it is onlv necessary to move the first coin from the lever .14 in order to permit the operation of the ydevlce, and for this purpose I provide a trip lever 25 operated by a plunger 26. The lever 25 is pivoted on a horizontal shaft 27 extending transversely of the chute or guideway 18 and is provided with a horizontal head portion (28 on its upper end adapted to engage and push the coin. out of the guideway when the lever is rocked by the plunger 26. The' plunger 26 is pivotallv engaged with the lower end of the lever 25 and is mounted for reciprocatory movement in a suitable guide 29 secured to the front wall ofthe coin box 16. A coiled Ispring 30 is mounteda'round the plunger 26 and has one end in engagement with .the inner end of the guide 29. while its other end is in engagement with a follower 314 on the plunger. so that when the plunger is @pressed '26 and lever 25 must be returned to normal position before the control lever will 0perateto release the valve 10. In operation, after the second coin' has been deposited in the guideway 18` the plunger 26 will be depressed so as to rock the trip lever 25. thereby forcing the portion 32 of the head 28 against the lowermost coin and thus moving said coinout of the chute or .friiidewav 18 and from over the control lever 14 and permitting it to dropy into the box 16. As the lowermost coin is movedv from over the lever 14l the lever will be rocked about its axis. due to the constant pressure in the meter 3 tending to rotate the gears 11 and 12. and thus causing the stop(Y lug 17 to constantly bear against the forward end. of the lever 14. However. due to the offset position of the port-ion 32 of the head 28` the lever v14 will move up against the shoulder 33 and again be stopped. and iii this position the forward end of the. lever 14 will not clear the stop lug 17 and. therefore. the valve 10 will not be opened. I n order to permit the valve 10 to open. it is necessary to release the plunger 26 and permit it Vto return to its normal position and therebv allow the lever 14 to rock further around its pivot so as to clear the stop lug` 17. The second coin, which is in the guideway when the first one is removed will move downwardly as the first 'is removed, but due to the raised position of the rear end of the lever 14 this second coin cannot enter the pockets 22 until the lever 14 has cleared the stop lug 17. since the force of the stop lug 17 against the forward end of thenlever .14 is greater'than the countorweight effect of the coin. However, as soon as the lug 17 is cleared the coin will be of siifiici-ent weight to return the lever 14 to its normal position and. therefore. the coin will move downwardlv into the pockets 22 and lock the lever in position to engage the stop lugA 17 as it completes a single revolution, thus again stopping the flow of liquid through the oiitlet conduit 5.

In order to aid the coin to retiirn the lever 14 to its normal or locking position, I may `provide a coil spring 35 as shown. However. this is not essential. i i

While I have shown and" described onli7 one specific embodiment'of my invention it will be understood that I do not wish to be limited thereto, since various modifications may be made without depai'tiiiir from scopeof my invention' as defined in the apiwardly vto rock the lever 25, the spring pended claims,

lll

I (}1a,l.lIlI-` `1. In a coin controlled dispensing apparatus, a control lever fulcrumed intermediate said side wall members into which the side' edges of the coin project when said coin has reached its lowermost position and rests against said control lever, said pockets being of such depth that a second coin, when deposited in said chute, will move said side wall members outwardly a suiiicient distance to release said first coin, and means for moving said first named coin from its position on Said controllever, thereby releasing said lever. l v 2. In a coin controlled dispensing apparatus, a control lever fulcrumed intermediate its ends and adapted to be locked against movement by a coin engaging one end thereof, a coin chute adapted to guide coins downwardly against said lever, resilient side wall members along each side of saidv chute adapted to be pressed outwardly by a coin passing downwardly through said chute, pockets adjacent the lower end of each of said side wall members into whichl the side edges of the coin project when said coin has reached Lits lowermost position and rests against said control lever, said pockets being of such depth that a second coin, when deposited in said chute, will move said side wall members outwardly a sufiicient distance to release said first coin, and a trip lever adapted to engage and move said first named coin from its position on said control lever, said trip `lever being adapted to prevent movement of said control lever until said trip lever is returned to its normal position.

3. In a coin controlled dispensing apparatus, a control lever fulcrumed intermediate its ends and adapted to be locked against movement by a coin engaging one end thereof, a coin chute adapted to guide coins downwardly against said lever, coin controlled means for preventing movement of said coin, said means being releasable by a second coin entering said slot, and means for moving said first named coin from its position on said control lever, thereby releasing said lever.

4. In a coin controlled dispensing apparatus, a control lever fulcrumed intermediate its ends and adapted to be locked against movement by a co1n engaging one end thereof, a coin chute adapted to guidel coins downwardly against said lever, coin controlled means for preventing movement of said coin, said means being releasable by a second coin entering said chute, and a manually operated trip lever adapted to engage and move saidffirst named coin from its position on said control lever, said trip lever being adapted to prevent movement of said control lever until said trip lever is returned to its normal position.,

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signedmy name.

THADDEUS S. BRIGHTWEIL. 

